Wolf killed on reservation
MISSOULA – A wolf, mistaken for a coyote, was killed by a hunter on the
Flathead Indian Reservation on Dec. 13, according to Ed Bangs, wolf
recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Helena.
The wolf was shot by a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes, Bangs said.
“He was a young guy who wanted to get a coyote pelt for his traditional
dance costume,” Bangs added. “When he realized what he’d done, he reported
himself.”
The incident is under investigation by federal law enforcement officers,
he said. Wolves are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Bangs said the wolf was a radio-collared, yearling female that had been
relocated by federal wildlife officials in March 2001 from the Gravely
Range in southwestern Montana to the Parsnip Mountain area on the west
side of Lake Koocanusa in the northwestern corner of the state.
Bangs said that wolves can be found throughout western Montana and he
reminded hunters to be sure of their target when pursuing coyotes or other
animals.